Boyle, J, C. Findlay & L. Forsyth, 2004, An investigation into women’s perceptions of fear and the design of the urban environment, in: OPENspace, ‘Open space, people space’, OPENspace, Edinburgh
- Author : Boyle, J, C. Findlay & L. Forsyth
- Year : 2004
- Published in Book : Open space, people space
- Abstract in English : What makes a space safe? This paper presents original research that aimed to explore women’s perceptions of fear in urban environments, by investigating the impact of design factors in the built environment on a woman’s perception of personal safety in that space. The current study differs from existing research in that it was carried out within the context of an urban design study rather than within a psychology-based study. This was achieved by exploring the hypothesis that design factors of the built environment may result in different perceptions of fear from an individual in that environment. A methodology was constructed using quantitative and qualitative techniques, based around a series of photographs. The study found that the sample of women interviewed differed in their awareness of design features in an environment. It was found that a strong relationship appears to exist between design aspects of the built environment, the impact that other people have on an individual’s response to a space, and familiarity to a space.
- Comments/Notes : KEYWORDS: women, fear, urban design, people, familiarity [paper 7 p.]